French company commits to new yogurt and dairy plant in Batavia, creating up to 135 new jobs

Photo from Genesee County Economic Development Center: This photo shows the land  for La Fermière's new 45,000 square-foot yogurt and dairy desserts production facility at Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park in Batavia.

Posted 16 March 2022 at 12:31 pm

Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

BATAVIA – Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that La Fermière, a family-owned French yogurt and desserts company, will establish its U.S. production operations in New York State.

The company has committed to constructing a 45,000 square-foot yogurt and dairy desserts production facility at Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park in Batavia, with plans for future, additional expansion. As a result, La Fermière, expects to create up to 135 New Jobs in the region.

Additionally, the company will utilize millions of pounds of milk provided by New York dairy farmers to create its globally renowned dairy products. Agribusiness is a core pillar of the locally designed Finger Lakes Forward plan, a comprehensive plan that is working to revitalize and grow the regional economy.

“We’re proud to welcome La Fermière to Genesee County, bringing jobs and opportunity to the Finger Lakes region,” Governor Hochul said. “This investment shows that our bold economic recovery plan for the Finger Lakes is working, attracting new businesses and helping communities across the region grow and thrive.”

Founded in Marseille, France in 1952, the company was purchased by Groupe Tarpinian in 2002. In the mid to late 2010’s, La Fermière began working with a New York state based co-packer in an effort to bring its sustainably packaged French yogurt to the U.S. market. The company had considered site locations throughout the country for its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility but selected New York, thanks to the focused support from both the State and its regional economic development partners.

“We are very excited to launch this project of building our very first yogurt and dessert production facility in Batavia, New York,” said La Fermière President and CEO Jean-Jacques Tarpinian. “The great support of the state and GCEDC team really helped us in our decision. The Batavia site meets our main requirements for success: quality milk and large cream supply, logistics hub and work force availability. Being close to local farmers, at the heart of milk production, was key for us, as we will use up to 6 million gallons of milk every year. Our five-year presence in the U.S. market expanded beyond our expectations. This state-of-the art facility will help us achieve our very ambitious goal in the U.S. market, which offers large opportunities by manufacturing the best all natural yogurts and desserts, with innovative recipes and process.”

Steven G. Hyde, President and Chief Executive Officer for Genesee County Economic Development Center said, “La Fermière’s decision to locate their U.S. operations in Genesee County demonstrates that investing in shovel-ready sites like the Genesee Valley Agribusiness Park draws great companies to New York. We are excited to work with La Fermière to see this project to success as we continue to grow our food and beverage-manufacturing workforce. Thanks to Governor Hochul’s leadership, businesses are finding the right sites and ready communities in New York for their growth.”

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “We are proud to welcome La Fermière to New York State as they expand their business in Genesee County, a major win for dairy in New York State. By choosing New York, La Fermière has highlighted the strength and diversity of our state’s dairy industry, which continues to attract new businesses and produce delicious, world-class dairy products for all to enjoy. Having La Fermière’s U.S. production facility located in New York will create new jobs and increase demand for New York dairy farmers’ milk, which is certainly a win-win for our dairy farmers and our communities. We look forward to partnering with La Fermière as they put down roots here and look forward to the continued success and expansion of the Genesee Valley Agribusiness Park.”

Assemblyman Steve Hawley said, “The arrival of La Fermière into the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park in Batavia is another sign that our region is truly a burgeoning agri-business hotspot within New York State. The Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park’s ability to enable manufacturers to make use of our high quality, local dairy has helped springboard our rural economy into the next generation, getting more of our farmer’s product into grocery stores nationwide and providing jobs to our highly skilled workforce. It’s been an incredible asset to the development of our rural economy, and its success is a testament to the quality of what our farmers are able to offer to companies seeking to produce specialty products at a massive scale.”

Genesee County Legislature Chair Shelley Stein said, “Thank you to Governor Hochul for guiding La Fermière to Genesee County and building another opportunity for great careers for our youth. La Fermière, and recent investments by O-AT-KA Milk Products, Dairy Farmers of America, HP Hood, Upstate Niagara Cooperative, and Yancey’s Fancy show that Genesee County is the ideal place for dairy processing growth. These investments have a tremendous positive impact for our farm families, highly skilled and dedicated farm workers, robust agricultural economy and welcoming communities.”